Why is this California newt (Taricha torosa) so chill, so cool? Might have something to do with the fact that it’s so poisonous it pretty much only has one natural predator: the common garter snake, armed with some impressive evolutionary resistance to the newt’s powerful toxin. | California Academy of Sciences

☔ Feeling cooped up? We know some critters who love the rain: newts! Red-bellied newts (Taricha rivularis) and rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) to be precise – such as these seen here at Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Thanks to Parks for All – Measure M funding, we’re closely tracking red-bellied newt activity at this park. They are a California Species of Special Concern and are an important indicator species, meaning that changes in population can be indicative o